Twisted Memories
by izzybellawella
Summary: In the Capitol, Peeta struggles to remember the day on the roof. Written for Day 5 of Prompts in Panem's Everlark Week Challenge, "One Last Day".


His body is bruised and battered and burnt and broken, but still _alive._ Peeta doesn't know how long he's been down here – how long since he's felt the warmth of the sun of his face, the wind rustling in his hair, the feel of Katniss in his arms. It's almost starting to feel like his other life, his home back in District 12, was something he'd dreamt up in desperation. Life has become an endless cycle of questioning and darkness and _pain_, and an ever-growing confusion about everything and anything pertaining to Katniss Everdeen. The girl he's loved his entire life...he thinks.

He'd been dragged into what his captors jokingly called 'The Television Room', as if such a harmless name could aptly describe what happened in the darkened chamber. Strapped down tightly to the recliner in the corner– they'd made sure of it ever since he'd knocked out three Peacekeepers during his first visit – he grits his teeth and glares at everyone in the room. It's all he can do. He is entirely at their mercy.

"Do you remember this, Peeta?"

It's one of the 'doctors' speaking to him, gesticulating towards the large screen on the wall. It shows a picture of the roof on top of the training centre – the one where the sweet scent of flowers were carried in on the breeze, where the gentle tinkling of wind chimes filled the air with sweet melodies of tranquillity and serenity. It shows a dark haired girl and a fair haired boy, looking as if they hadn't a care in the world. It shows Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark – or who Peeta Mellark used to be, at any rate. This Peeta is a shell of the old one.

Of course he remembers that day. They'd almost been able to pretend that their lives weren't imploding, that death wasn't imminent, that they were normal teenagers together. "I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever," he'd told Katniss, and she'd cheerfully said that she'd allow it. He'd give anything to return to that roof with Katniss Everdeen and the orange hues of the sunset swirling around them.

He's so preoccupied with his memories of that perfect day that he doesn't see the doctor coming at him with a needle until it's sinking into his arm. He snarls gutturally at the unpleasant sensation. Peeta can feel the toxin seeping into his bloodstream, beginning to spread around his body and take over his senses. His mind starts to cloud, and everything in the room begins to sway. He shakes his head, as if doing so would get rid of that debilitating feeling.

And then the video starts to play.

He can see the two of them smiling and joking, messing around with some of the food from their picnic. A smile makes its way onto his face involuntarily. Somewhat inspired by Haymitch, they'd made up a game with the force field surrounding the roof, where one of them threw an apple into it and the other person had to catch it. Peeta sees his old self laugh as he throws the apple, sees Katniss dive for it-

_-and suddenly Katniss is right in front of him, baring her fangs at him, blood dripping down her face. "Bye bye, baker boy!" she hisses at him as she pushes him off the roof into the force field with inhuman strength in her arms. He screams and screams and screams as the power of a thousand lightning strikes runs through his body, the agonising feeling of his insides burning-_

"NO!" Peeta bellows as he shakes away the shiny images that try to take over his mind. "That never happened!"

The image on the screen changes suddenly. They're lying on top of a picnic blanket, Katniss' head in Peeta's lap as he plays with her hair. She smiles up at him, and he leans down to kiss her on the forehead-

_-and he's inside of her, and she's moving on top of him fiercely, riding him as fast as she can. "You're nothing compared to Gale," she cackles breathily as her talons dig into his shoulders, drawing blood. "How could you ever think that I'd love you? I only love Gale. We'd fuck in the forest and laugh about how pathetic you were! No one wants you, Peeta Mellark." She wrenches herself off of him and slides down his body, taking him in her mouth. Mutt Katniss bites down with jagged teeth as sharp as a knife and he yells out in pain- _

"STOP IT!" Peeta cries out, clenching his eyes shut. He can hear someone sobbing in the room and it takes him a while to realise that it's his sobs, his throat choked with tears. "That... never happened..." he protests weakly, but he's not convinced. Why had he wanted to freeze that moment? Did he really say that? He's not sure about anything anymore.

The memories of what he had initially thought was idyllic day begin to fade away, as his world becomes filled with memories of pain and torture and _that Mutt Katniss Everdeen. _


End file.
